The Little Merman
by PermanentlyFrozen
Summary: A different take on the Little Mermaid! Life isn't as you'd think under the sea. Zuko dreams of something more, and of finding his mother. He never thought he'd find love as well. The course of true love never did run smooth. HAITUS
1. Zuko

_::~ So I'm starting this all over again! I'm having a different take one The Little Mermaid. I'm going to change the Title soon, to Under Ruins and The Sea, so keep a lookout for that! Here's the cast!_

_Katara~ Princess ( Took Prince Eric's role)_

_Zuko~ Merman prince ( Took Ariel's role)_

_Aang~ Scuttle _

_Iroh~ Flounder _

_Ozai~ King Triton ( Ozai's still evil though. I wouldn't have him any other way!)_

_Azula~ Ursula_

_Sokka~ Stuffy Butler_

_Toph~ Crazy Chef_

_Hakoda~ Late King of the People on land_

_Kya~ Deceased wife of King Hakoda_

_Zhao~ Sebastian _

_Oh, and btw, this is a completely different take, so the songs and other events may be changed to fit the plot i've created for this remake. And for those who ask, _**PermanentlyFrozen does not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid belongs to the Disney franchise, and Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Brian and Mike. I don't own!**

_::~_

Seagulls were flying lazily through the slightly cloudy sky. Below them, dolphins played and frolicked in the ocean, looking as if they were smiling. The seagulls and dolphins looked as if they were laughing at their own joke, in a language that was lost to humans. Suddenly, a large boat appeared, causing the dolphins to go back into the water, and the seagull to fly off into the sky. Sailors were hoisting a net full of fish, while singing.

_I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue, and it's yay, to the stotergy ho!_

_The young master merman be waiting for you, in mysterious fathoms below._

Katara clung on to a rope, while leaning over the side of the boat, a large smile on her face. " Isn't this great? The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face?" she sighed, as her dog barked in agreement. " The perfect day to be at sea." she said, as she turned around, and looked at her rather greenish butler, Sokka. " Oh, yes." he said, holding back vomit. " Delightful." Katara ignored him and leaned over even more over the side of the boat. " Katara! Don't lean so much, you'll fall over!" Kinga Hakoda said, gazing at his daughter as she laughed. Sokka leaned over the rail again, just in case he actually hurled. " Dad, how long do I have to pretend to be Katara's stupid butler again?" Sokka asked, whining. Hakoda shrugged. " When she says so." he answered. Katara rolled her eyes. " Relax Sokka, being my butler isn't so bad." she smiled when he rolled his eyes playfully.

" A fine strong wind, and a following sea." Katara ran over to him to help with the sail. " King Ozai must be, in a friendly type mood!" said the sailor. Katara's attention was immediately snatched from the knot she was tying. " King Ozai?" she asked, her curiousity reaching it's peak.

" Why, ruler of the mer-people, lass. Thought every good sailor knew about him." said a creepy sailor with a slightly closed eye. He was holding a fish. Katara's dog ran up to him, begging for attention. Katara smiled and leaned down to pet him, as Sokka walked up to her, clutching his stomach for fear of getting sick again. He had also noticeably become less green. " Oh, pay no attention to this nautical nonsense." said Sokka, dismissively. The creepy sailor walked up to him, waving a fish disaprovingly. " It ain't nonsense, it's the truth!" he said. " I'm tellin ya, down in the depths of the ocean they live around!" said the sailor, forcing Sokka to take nervous steps backwards. The fish the sailor was holding slipped from his grasp, and with his tail, smacked the butler a few times, and with that, he fell off the boat and plunged into the sea where he belonged.

_The young master merman be waiting for you, in mysterious fathoms below!_

The fish kept swimming quickly, and didn't look up until he felt that he was deep enough in the ocean. Finally, he looked up and saw that no one was after him, and he sighed in relief. He began to swim quickly in order to get to Atlantica: Home of the Mermaids.

He flew quickly, passing seaweed, sea anemones, and other schools of brightly colored fish, as well as a large whale. Soon, mer-people appeared, with tails of different colors, all swimming in the same direction as him. They arrived at Atlantis, a large city that looked like everything was made out of gold. They arrived at the large palace doors, that glittered and shone like a thousand diamonds. Mermaids, and mermen came from all different directions, all gathering at a large hall that seemed as if it were made out of pearl. On the stage, severeal fishes lined up an looked official. A small seahorse, cleared his throat and attracted everyone's attention.

"His royal highness, King Ozai!" declared the seahorse. As if on cue, a few dolphins emerged from a cavern and dragged a large sea shell floating behind them, and on it was none other than the lord of the sea, King Ozai. He still had a powerful frame, his alabaster skin and golden eyes different in compare to the other mer-people. Everyone clapped, as he appeared. With a wave of his trident, he lit up the blue crystal that hung on the ceiling, and it was lighted with a burst of exploding fireworks. Everyone "oohed" and "aahed" at the sight. " And presenting, the distinquished quartz composer, Horacio Fulonius Ignacious Crestacious Zhao!" Zhao entered, with smaller, slower fish pulling him along. Zhao still looked composed, and snobby. He sneered at the audience.

" I'm really looking forward to this performance, Zhao." said King Ozai. Zhao bowed deeply.

" Of course, your magesty. This will be the finest concert I have ever conducted. Your son, he will be spectacular! Despite being a half-wit." he said, as he nearly fell out of his sea shell chariot. Ozai chuckled. " Yes, my son, Zuko. He's not the brightest in the coral, isn't he? He's become to soft, just like his mother. Ozai said, disdain evident in his voice. Zhao struggled to get back into his chariot while still controlling the fish that were tied to it.

" Yes, yes. She had the most beautiful voice. However that didn't prevent her from being banished, eh?" said Zhao, trying to remember how she had looked like. He motioned for the fish to swim over to the stage. " If only the brat showed up for rehearsal once in a while." he said, muttering to himself. Zhao came to the stage, and pulled out music sheets and set them up on the stand. He tapped the stand, and at his signal, the band, composed completely of sea creatures, started playing. A curtain of bubbles opened, and large closed clams rose.

_Oh, he is the son of Ozai, _

_Great leader who makes the Ocean feared,_

_And then there is the heir in his musical debut,_

_The Ozai's eldest son named Zuko we're presenting him to you,_

_To sing a song that Zhao wrote, his voice is like a bout, _

_He's the son, Zuko- Oh!_

The singers exclaimed, when the largest and final clam opened, and there was no Zuko in it. Zhao saw he wasn't there, and turned around to see King Ozai's reaction. He was right, and the King looked incensed, his trident was glowing.

" Zuko!"

::~

Somewhere far off, a young, raven haired teenage guy peered over the top mast of a sunken boat. Curiousity shone in his melted gold eyes. " Prince Zuko, wait for me! An old fish like me cannot swim that fast!" said a small voice. Zuko rolled his eyes, waiting. " Uncle, hurry up!" Zuko was Ozai's son, and had a very handsome build. He had defined muscles, and looked every bit as an heir that he was. Zuko's pale skin was illuminated by the sun's rays that penetrated the depths of the ocean.

Iroh swam up beside him, a red and brown old merman. " You know I can't swim that fast!" he said, protesting. " I need some tea to revive these old bones" Iroh commented, but Zuko ignored him. " There it is." he said, pointing. " It's the ship I've been looking for. This'll give us a clue to where my mom's been." Zuko mused, hope filling his voice, which was very rare. A sunken, destroyed ship in the distance was suddenly illuminated by light from the sun above.

" Sure, I-It's great. Now can we get out of here?" Iroh asked, sounding worried. He started to swim away, but Zuko grabbed him by the tail. " Ugh, you're not getting cold fins now are you?" he said, as he dragged him behind her, swimming to the ship. " Suck it up, Uncle. Where's the old general that was afraid of nothing?" Zuko asked. He swam ahead, not looking back to see if his uncle was following him.

" Who me?" said Iroh when he slipped from her grasp. " Of course not, I'm just worrying for your well being, Prince Zuko." he said, his voice cracking. Zuko kept swimming without him.

" Save it Uncle, just keep swimming." Zuko said, getting closer to the ship. Iroh clutched his forhead with a fin dramatically. " Yeah, I got this cough." he said, coughing for emphasis. Zuko was already upside down, peering inside a porthole. Iroh was given one of Zuko's famous 'shut up already' looks.

" Alright, I'm going inside." He said, swiming right side up and clutching his satchel. " You can stay here, and... watch for sharks!" Zuko said, a smug expression on his face. Iroh nodded, fake coughing again.

" Yeah, you go," he said, as his nephew disappeared, going through the porthole. " I'll stay and- WHAT? SHARKS? Prince Zuko!" he yelled, getting stuck in the porthole because he tried to swim through it. He struggled to get free. " Prince Zuko. I can't get- I need-" he said, trying to push himself through. Zuko was already starting to open a door, and turned around when Iroh hissed, " Zuko, help!".

Zuko sighed and was at his uncle's side in an instant. " Damnit Uncle, can't you do anything right?" he said, shaking his head.

" Prince Zuko, do you really think there might be sharks around here?" Iroh whispered, as Zuko grabbed his hands and started to pull him through. Little did he know, that behind him, a dark shillouette of a shark passed by the boat.

" If there are, I'll be able to handle it. I don't train for no reason, Uncle." Zuko chastised. Iroh nodded. " The training has gone well, too." he said, as he finally was out of the porthole, and inside the boat.

They continued swimming in the lowest parts of the boat, where Zuko knew he could find some clues. " This is great, I really, uh, love this. Excitement. Adventure. Danger lurking at every corner- Aaaaaaaaaaah!" Iroh saw a human skull and nearly jumped out of his scales. He bumped into a post and alot of wood started falling. He avoided the falling chunks, and swimmed huriedly. " Zuko!" he said. He bumped into his nephew, shaking and nearly paralyzed in fright.

" Uncle!" Zuko hissed, pushing him off and looking around. They had to find something. This was the third boat he had searched so far. Something had to tell him where his mother was. Zuko continued to swim, looking around.

" Yeah sure, no problem, I'm okay." Iroh said, but immediately was shushed by Zuko

He had found something interesting. Zuko made his way over to it. He prayed that it told him where his mother was sent.

_::~ I have to cut it off here, for time reasons. Love it? Hate it? Tell me in a review! And in case you didn't know, this is a Zutara, so Kataangers beware! I've changed everything, but it's going to be so worth it, even if it is hard work! Make sure you review!_


	2. Scarred

::~ _So here's the second chapter! It's going to take me a while _

::~

Zuko swam quickly to the object. It was a simple letter. " Uncle, look! It's a letter, that my mother left!" Zuko exclaimed. Iroh swam over to him. " What does it say, nephew?" Iroh asked. Zuko turned away from him and tried to decipher it. Zuko's face was furrowed in concentration as he pulled the piece of paper close, and read it.

" It's kinda hard to read..." Zuko said absent-mindedly. His mother had dissapeared when he was merely in the Third Coral, so after that, his father thought that it wasn't fit for him to go to school, so he simply left. His uncle had taken it upon himself to teach Zuko secretly, so he knew what he was doing when he became King. Zuko reckoned he'd be in the Twelfth Coral by now.

Iroh was nervous, and turned around, just in time to see a large mouth with several rows of teeth behind him. " AAAH! SHARK, WE'RE GONNA DIE!" he yelled, as he swum quickly and ran into Zuko. The shark broke through the window, and accidentally bit wood. Zuko pushed a crate at it, but it was on their heels in an instant.

Zuko and Iroh swimmed up, and were about to make their escape when the shark bit through the wood, and blocked their way. Zuko and Iro swam in the other direction, with Iroh screaming like a crazy fish.

" Uncle, will you be quiet!" Zuko yelled, as he continued to swim, clutching the piece of paper to him. THe shark was biting through the wood, advancing upon them quickly. Iroh reached the porthole first. He tried to push himself through, but to no avail. Zuko swam up behind him and with alot of effort, pushed his uncle through, and then went through himself, but the shark was gaining on them.

Iroh was screaming, and Zuko tried desperately to think. He had to get rid of the shark before they became it's breakfast. Zuko spotted an anchor nearby, and hoped that the shark wasn't smart. He stayed at the onther end of it, just near the hole at the top of the anchor. " Hey, you big brute! I bet you're as strong as a clownfish, and even dummer yet!" he yelled, taunting the shark. The shark gave him a look, and started to charge towards him.

At the last moment, Zuko swimmed up and the shark's snout was trapped in the hole of the anchor, and it was unable to move. Zuko sighed in relief, and then started to swim up to the surface of the ocean. Iroh floated in front of the shark, taunting it. " You big bully! And you simply must clean your teeth, I know a tea herb that'll keep that breath away..." Iroh said. The shark snapped it's jaws, and Iroh was frightened away.

" Uncle!" Zuko snapped, and Iroh began to swim after him.

" Coming!" said Iroh, good naturedly.

::~

Above the sea, a sea gull with binoculars was perched on a rock, humming. The sea gull then took the binoculars and placed it on it's head. " What's the point of having this thingy?" Aang, the seagull said. He tried waddling, and fell flat on his face.

" Aang! I'm back!" she heard a baritone voice call out to her. Aang stood.

" Heyy, is that you Sifu Hotman?" Aang said, walking all over Zuko's face. He pushed him off and set him back down on the rock.

" Yeah, it's me." Zuko answered.

" And his uncle!" Said Iroh. " Hi Iroh!" said Aang, as usual, in a bright way. Zuko rolled his eyes.

" Aang, do you think you know what this is?" Asked Zuko, getting right down to business. Aang took the wet piece of paper, and scrutinized it.

" Hm." said Aang, pensively. Zuko tapped his fingers, waiting. " Hm." Aang said again.

" What is it?" Zuko asked, getting impatient.

" It looks like a sheet of music..." Aang finally answered. " But oh well! What do I know?" Aang asked, giving the paper to Iroh and walking away, humming. Zuko swam a bit far off, trying to remember something. Then it hit him.

" MUSIC! My father is going to kill me!" He said, true fear etched on his face. Iroh looked frightened as well.

" Now now, Prince Zuko. I'm sure your father will understand, if we talk to him civilly." Iroh said. Zuko nodded, and started to swim away.

" Farewell little seagull!" Iroh called out, as he dissapeared behind Zuko in the ocean.

::~

" You called, father?" said Azula, Zuko's younger sister. Ozai sat on the throne, proudly looking at his daughter.

" Azula, it appears that your urchin of a brother is gone and missed the performance. Do you know of his whereabouts?" Ozai asked, his trident glowing dangerously. Azula pretended to act innocent.

" Why, would he do such a thing! Knowing my brother, father, I'd think he's at the surface."

" THE SURFACE?" Ozai bellowed. A few rocks fell from the throne.

Azula cowered slightly. " Not only that, my lord, but I distinctly heard he was looking for mother."

Ozai's reaction was deadly.

::~

" Father, please forgive me, I didn't think-"

" OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T THINK. YOU NEVER DO! I'm ashamed to call you my son!" Osai bellowed. Iroh intervened, on behalf of his nephew, who couldn't look his father in the eye."

" Brother, listen to him. It was not his fault, the poor boy simply wanted to see his mother-"

" Shut up you miserable guppy! I haven't given you permission to speak. And as for you-" he pointed at Zuko. " You, are a disgrace. The mention of your mother in this palace is the highest offence!" Ozai yelled. Azula stood by his side, smirking. Zuko clenched his fists.

" Father, it's not my fault! Azula said-" Zuko said, trying stand up for himself. His father cut him off, however, and gave him a murderous glare. Ozai spoke in a low, but dangerous tone as he said his next few words.

" Azula was born lucky. You were lucky to be born."

Everyone gasped. And as if it weren't enough, Ozai stepped to a new low.

" Your a disgrace to this family, just as your pitiful mother was." he said, glaring at his son. That did it for Zuko. No one insulted his mother, who did all she could to make him fit into a family that cared nothing for him.

" She is not a disgrace! She was the only other person that truly loved me! And I'm going to find her!" Zuko yelled at his father. Ozai sneered.

" We'll see about that." he said, and with a wave of his trident, shot a beam at Zuko's face. Azula gasped. The screams echoing through the hall that night were not to be quelled.

::~

Cries were all that were heard, coming from the prince's room. Iroh was the only one allowed inside, as well as some nurses that would ease the pain. Iroh looked as if he was on the verge of crying himself. " What will happen to him?" Iroh asked a nurse that passed by. Her face was grim.

" Sir, if he doesn't die, I'm afraid the skin won't be able to survive. He will have a deep scar. We have put him on some medication, that will help ease the pain. He is resting now, and won't be up for about three days." she said softly. Iroh looked down, dismayed.

" That gives me enough time to pack his things. It appears that his father has seen it fit to ban him from the palace as well."

The nurse looked at the poor boy, sleeping with a frown on his face. The poor boy did nothing to deserve this.

::~

_A/N: I know, it's so sad. I feel so bad for Zuko, but he had to have his scar. I may have changed the time line for a bit, like making Zuko eighteen when he was scarred at thirteen, but I had to. Oh, and btw, the characters are older and I guess you can figure out their ages by knowing Zuko's age. So sad! :'( But please review!_


	3. Explosion

::~ _So I'm going to give it a shot, and I'm going to try and continue this story. Yet, I get a whole bunch of favorites, and only two reviews? Is it really so hard for you people to stop by and say hi? Once again, I'm really excited to start this story, and I'm glad you all like it! Please leave constructive critism! oh and btw, I might add some scenes that weren't in the movie. :D_

_::~_

A storm was brewing. The skies were ominously dark. The sailors looked wearily at the sky. There were still a day until they got to land. Sails were hoisted and lowered. It was the princess's birthday, but the storm was quickly approaching. Still, music was played, and dancing happened. Katara found herself laughing as she danced with her brother, ignoring the storm.

::~

Pain. Indescribable pain. He couldn't feel his face. Was he dead? He thought so. What had happened? Oh, right. Father. His Father had hurt him.

" Zuko. Prince Zuko, can you hear me? Arise, Prince Zuko." said an old voice. Zuko found he could only open one eye. " Ah. I believe you are wondering if this is a dream. I regret to tell you, Prince Zuko, this is not."

Zuko found his voice after hearing this. " My father-" he said. Iroh's face fell. He looked away sadly.

" Your father has banished you, Prince Zuko. You are to leave today." Zuko felt pain again. But it was in his heart this time. His own father wanted him gone. He meant nothing to his father because he didn't share the same thirst for revenge. Zuko swum upwards off the bed. Iroh was at his side immediately, but was pushed aside.

" Leave me!" Zuko said when Iroh grabbed his arm. Iroh did as he was told, put looked at his nephew with pain in his eyes. No child should have to go through what he did. Zuko looked at his Uncle, refusing to cry. Crying would do no good. He learned this long ago, when his mother left. The words of his father suddenly came to mind, when he found him crying after his mother was no where to be found.

_You can cry all you want, but that won't make a difference. It just makes you weak._

That's what his father had said. So Zuko wasn't going to cry. He was going to regain his honor by proving his father wrong.

::~

" Wait, Prince Zuko! I'm too old to be carrying my belongings and swimming quickly!" said Iroh as he tried hard to catch up with his nephew. Zuko stopped and waited for his uncle impatiently. He wanted to see the shore. The sun was setting and it was still a while until they left the kingdom. Zuko wasn't feeling well either. The water was getting fiercer, and he kept getting pushed away. Still, he trudged on.

Zuko burst through the surface. The sky was dark, and the waters were pushing him perilously. His eyes widened when he saw colors in the sky. They were fireworks. They appeared to be coming from a boat in the distance. He quickly caught up with the boat, and using the force of the waves, he was able to grab onto a rope hanging off the boat. He pulled him self up, and sat on a ledge. What he saw there were wonders.

He saw people with legs just like the in the paintings he found! They were dancing, merrily. His eyes wandered to someone who looked like she was the same kind as Azula, although she far surpassed her beauty. She was sitting on a few crates, laughing and smiling at the men dancing with each other. She had long, chocolate tresses, and a even mocha skin color. But what captured his attention were her eyes. They were blue, as blue as the most vibrant part of the ocean. A male that looked similar to her, asked her to dance, and she laughed and agreed.

" Wow..." said Zuko, as he gazed at the smooth way that she danced with ease. An animal that had been near her and smelled him and ran over to the hole where he was spying from. He moved away, so the animal couldn't see him. It was barking. When Zuko turned to see if the animal was there, it was. It gave him a big lick before it was called away by the beautiful girl.

" Momo! Here, boy!" the girl said. Her voice had Zuko entranced. Never before had he seen a girl more beautiful than his mother. She laughed as she pet the animal.

Zuko was too busy looking at the girl, and didn't notice Aang fly up behind him. " Hiya, Sifu Hotman!" Aang yelled. Zuko waved a hand in his direction.

" Aang, be quiet!" Zuko hissed, and went back to gazing at the girl. Aang's eyes became shifty.

" I get it, WE'RE OUT TO DISCOVER!" Aang yelled. Zuko grabbed his beak and shut him up.

" I've never seen a human this close before." Zuko whispered, his eyes once again going to the girl. She was playing an instrument that made her animal bark in glee. " She's beautiful, isn't she?" Zuko asked, not really expecting an answer. To him, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Aang's face became confused. " Dunno. It looks kinda hairy and slobbery to me-" Zuko made him look at Katara.

" Not that one! Her!" Zuko said, as he stared at her in wonder once again. The male that looked like her hushed the crowd.

" QUIET! Thank you. Now, as you all know, Katara is my annoying sister." said the male, who was apparently her brother. The girl stiffened and gave her brother a look.

_So her name is Katara. _Zuko thought silently. Her brother continued to speak. " And even though she is annoying sometimes, I couldn't ask for anyone else." said Sokka sweetly. Katara smiled, and the sailors clapped. She got up and hugged her brother. He held her tightly and swung her around. Everyone started to sing.

" Cheers to Katara's birthday!" Sokka said, as he pumped a fist in the air. However, their joy was short lived. Dangerous thunder clapped overhead. The sea was roaring, tossing water onto the boat.

" It's a tempest!" cried one of the sailors. Quickly saillors rushed to the sails and the other parts of the boat, in an effort to control it. Katara pulled a rope and tied it securely. The boat rocked dangerously and Zuko was tossed back to the sea. From the water he watched in horror as lightning hit one of the sails, and it began to catch on fire. A few posts fell and the sailors were starting to run over to the life boats. " Abandon Ship!" Someone cried.

King Hakoda was one of the first people who was put on a lifeboat. Katara and Sokka soon followed. The fire on the boat was quickly spreading. All of the sudden, barking was heard.

" Momo!" Katara cried. She dove back into the ocean, before anyone could stop her. She climbed back up over the side of the boat. She heard Sokka yelling.

" Katara, get back here! It's not safe!" he cried. Katara turned to reassure him.

" Don't worry, I'm okay!" she yelled back at him. She spotted Momo shuffling in the midst of burning posts. He was unsure of what to do. Katara picked him up with as much force as she could muster, and tossed him over the side of the boat. He was immediately swimming towards the life boat. Katara looked back, as worried expression on her face.

She stepped up to the ledge, and jumped.

" No!" Zuko yelled, pain wracking his guts.

The ship exploded before she hit the water.


	4. Through the Storm

::~

Hola! How're you guys? Good? Fine? Awesome! I hope you guys like this next chapter!

::~

Zuko swimmed to the spot that she fell in. Charred pieces of wood were floating by, and a large part of what was the boat was still burning. " Katara!" he heard her brother scream, and thankfully he didn't notice him. Zuko dived into the water. He saw her, slowly falling because she was losing oxygen. He swimmed over to her, carefully holding her bridal style he burst through the surface of the water.

_Please don't be dead._ Zuko thought, as he swum for the shore.

::~

The next morning, Zuko had Katara with him on the sandy beach. Aang flew in,

" Is she... dead?" Zuko asked Aang, who was on the shore, observing Katara. Zuko cradled her head on his shoulder, shaking her gently.

" I don't know, let me check." Aang said, putting his head to her chest. He heard a faint heart beat. " She's alive!" he exclaimed, excitedly. Zuko let out a deep breath of relief. The movement of his chest caused Katara to awaken. She shook her head, fluttering her eyes. Zuko stared at her in wonder.

" She's so beautiful."

" What? What happened..." She started to say, but her celestial blue eyes widened when she took in Zuko's physique. He was cut, with well defined muscles. He was lean, and tall. And then she realized, he didn't have feet.

" Your... your a-" Zuko put his hand over her mouth, silencing her.

" Shhhh!" he hissed, knowing that her brother would find them soon. Katara nodded, still staring at him in wonder.

" KATARA!" Zuko heard her brother yell. He was down the beach, and would find them in minutes.

" I'm sorry, I have to go." Zuko said, giving her a small peck on the cheek. They both blushed as red as tomatoes.

Zuko slid back in the water, swimming a far enough distance so that they wouldn't find him, but he could keep an eye on Katara, making sure that she was found safe and sound.

Sokka helped his sister up, having her lean on him for support. Her legs were a little bit shaky. " Sokka," she said. "you won't believe it! I just saw a mermaid!" she said, smiling. Sokka was busy making sure she could stand. 

" That's nice, 'Tara." he said, absentmindedly. Their father, King Hakoda, was waiting for them in the distance.

" No, I'm serious! It was a mermaid! Well, I guess not a mer_maid_, because it was a guy, it was more or a mer_man._" Katara said, with a dazed look in her eye. Sokka wasn't paying attention to her. They were almost halfway down the beach. " And he kissed me! He _kissed _me." she said, smiling wistfully. Zuko laughed. It felt really good to laugh.

::~

Zuko was humming. Humming! Iroh thought, as he followed his nephew around the castle, helping him pack. It was very disconcerning, because Zuko just heard that he was banished, and he reacted in the complete opposite way Iroh thought he would.

He almost looked happy to go.

Azula entered, shooing the maids away. Iroh's demeanor became gaurded, as it always did when he was around his niece. " Good day, Uncle." she said, snidely. " May I speak to Zuko alone?" she commanded instead of asked. Iroh silently nodded, and swimmed out.

Zuko had his back facing her, and payed her no mind until she forced him to.

" I know all about her." she said.


End file.
